The political landscape in late 2025 shifted in a way nobody really saw coming. When Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in September 2025, the national conversation didn't just stay on the tragedy itself. It quickly pivoted to a massive, multi-week firestorm involving Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar.
If you’re wondering exactly what did Ilhan Omar say about Charlie Kirk, the answer is a complicated mix of formal condolences and a brutal, public refusal to "whitewash" his legacy. It wasn't just one tweet. It was a series of interviews, social media reposts, and a high-stakes standoff on the House floor that nearly cost her her committee seats.
The Comments That Sparked a Censure Effort
The friction started almost immediately after Kirk’s death. While many politicians were offering the standard thoughts and prayers, Omar took a different path. In an interview with the progressive outlet Zeteo shortly after the shooting, she didn't hold back.
She called the assassination itself "mortifying" and expressed empathy for Kirk’s wife and children. However, she pivoted sharply when asked about the "civility" of Kirk’s career.
"There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate," Omar told Zeteo. She then used much stronger language, saying, "There is nothing more effed up than to completely pretend that his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade."
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She basically argued that we shouldn't forget what he said while he was alive just because he was gone. To her, Kirk was a "reprehensible, hateful man" who promoted white supremacy. She specifically brought up his past comments regarding Black women’s "brain processing power" and his skepticism toward Juneteenth.
The "Dustbin of History" Interview
Things escalated when Omar appeared on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins. This is where the phrase that most people remember came from.
Collins pushed her on why she shared a video that some saw as mocking Kirk’s death—a video that compared him to a "Dr. Frankenstein" figure killed by a monster of his own making. Omar defended the repost. She admitted she didn't agree with every single word in the video, but she stood by her assessment of the man.
"I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind," Omar said. "That should be in the dustbin of history."
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The Political Backlash in D.C.
Republicans weren't just mad; they were mobilized. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge to censure Omar. She accused the Minnesota Democrat of "glorifying" political violence.
The House actually came within a single vote of punishing her. On September 18, 2025, the resolution to censure Omar failed by a razor-thin margin of 214–213. Interestingly, four Republicans—Mike Flood, Jeff Hurd, Tom McClintock, and Cory Mills—voted with the Democrats to table the resolution.
Some of those Republicans argued that while they found Omar's words "reprehensible," they were still protected by the First Amendment. They didn't want to set a precedent where a lawmaker could be removed from committees just for saying something "mean" about a deceased public figure.
Why It Matters for 2026
Honestly, this wasn't just about a feud. It was a litmus test for how we handle the death of polarizing figures in a hyper-partisan era.
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Omar’s stance was that "empathy for the family" and "respect for the legacy" are two different things. Her critics, like Rep. Buddy Carter, argued that her rhetoric was "disgusting" and served to "normalize meeting free speech with violence."
Key Takeaways from the Controversy
If you're trying to wrap your head around the fallout, here's the breakdown of what actually happened:
- Condemnation of Violence: Omar did officially condemn the assassination and called the murder "mortifying."
- The "Full of Sh*t" Remark: At a town hall event, she used this phrase to describe people who were trying to portray Kirk as a "civil" debater after his death.
- Legacy Stance: She remained adamant that Kirk’s history of "stochastic terrorism" and "bigotry" should not be forgotten or rewritten.
- Censure Survival: She narrowly kept her committee assignments on the House Budget and Education committees after the 214-213 vote.
Basically, Omar refused to participate in the "de mortuis nil nisi bonum" (say nothing but good of the dead) tradition.
The fallout from what Ilhan Omar said about Charlie Kirk continues to echo through the 2026 election cycle. It has become a standard talking point for both sides: progressives see it as a refusal to be bullied, while conservatives see it as a lack of basic human decency.
If you want to understand the current state of political rhetoric, you have to look at the "receipts" Omar brought to that CNN interview. She wasn't just attacking a person; she was attacking a decade of digital footprints.
To stay informed on how this impacts upcoming House votes, keep an eye on the House Ethics Committee's moves, as some members are still pushing for a formal investigation into whether her social media activity "reflects creditably" on the House.